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Grow Up Vancouver sets the tone for 2026 cannabis

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4 months ago

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The start of this cannabis year was marked by the latest edition of the Grow Up conference in Vancouver, which seems to be setting the tone for what to expect from the industry in 2026. Exhibitors and attendees reported that the industry is becoming more measured, operationally focused, and increasingly aware that long-term viability depends on execution rather than wishful thinking. “Grow Up was a very positive experience, with direct and practical conversations with growers and partners. The event created a space for meaningful discussions, focused on current market realities and field-level challenges,” said the BioFloral team.

For Cannatrol, the show highlighted how it has become a post-harvest strategy. “In Grow Up 2026, Cannatrol brings technology that works where few solutions exist, setting new standards for the industry,” said David Sandelman, chief technology officer and company founder. Appearing at the event, along with new Canadian distribution partner Quality Horticulture, Cannatrol used the conference to highlight a once-left-behind process as an increasingly crucial part of every cannabis operation. “We’re here to show conference attendees why your post-harvest system matters even more than the growing process.”

Since cannabis was regulated, many growers have focused more on maximizing fat space, relegating drying, curing and all that to a small part of their operation. So it seems that the industry is indicating that the sector is maturing, and the year 2026 is crucial to show this. “Cannatrol sees 2026 as a new phase of maturity for the cannabis industry driven by potential rescheduling and more disciplined business practices focused on operational efficiency.” In such an environment, he added, “quality and consistency are no longer differentiators, but critical drivers for producing top-notch craftsmanship and achieving successful business growth.”

The very tone of the event was in favor of this assessment. David described Grow Up as “a very positive experience, with direct and practical conversations with growers and partners”, noting that “the event created a space for meaningful discussions based on market realities and field-level challenges”. He also saw a clear change in behavior among producers. The same sentiment is echoed by the BioFloral team, who noticed that attendees were more interested in practical solutions than the latest shiny toy. “We’ve noticed an increasing focus on efficiency, consistency and long-term profitability. Growers seem less driven by novelty and more interested in stable, proven solutions.”

Exhibitors for the first time, such as the Fraser Valley Organic Producers Association, are joining the world of cannabis with a new benchmark in organic cannabis cultivation. “We really enjoyed being part of the Grow Up show this year. We received a great response from the attendees, with many expressing an interest in learning more about the organic certification of cannabis. As this was our first time attending the conference, we were very pleased with the diversity of industry players in attendance. It was particularly interesting to learn more about the research that some growers are doing into the medical use of cannabis.

Similar pragmatism emerged from brand-focused exhibitors. The Pure Sunfarms and Super Toast teams reported that Grow Up Vancouver provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen retail relationships and strengthen their presence in British Columbia. “Grow Up Vancouver was a strong opportunity to share more about our evolving portfolio, strengthen connections with retail partners and their teams, and highlight our deep connection to British Columbia as our home market,” the company said, adding that “the quality of the conversations was high and it was gratifying to see such thoughtful engagement across the industry.”

From the point of view of the market, retailers appear to be more and more selective. “One of the most noticeable changes is the continued push behind convenience-driven categories,” the team noted. “There is a strong demand for products that are easy to understand, easy to use and fit seamlessly into consumer routines, especially formats that prioritize consistency, quality and accessibility.”

For other attendees, Grow Up Vancouver also reinforced a sense of confidence in an industry that continues to grow despite many obstacles. “Grow Up Vancouver was the perfect start to 2026,” says Atiyyah Ferouz, founder of AgCann Consultancy. “There was a renewed energy and positivity that was palpable throughout the event.” This optimism was linked to a growing strategic awareness, especially regarding market diversification. “A big trend, which has been increasing year by year, is the focus on the export market,” continued Atiyyah. “We’ve spoken to a number of producers who have included export readiness as a key part of their 2026 strategy. In many of the conversations we had, producers were still keen to supply the Canadian market, but wanted to make sure their sales weren’t completely dependent on a single market.”

This vision is shaped by an industry that, despite pressure, is not standing still.” The Canadian cannabis industry is in a strong position today,” stated the GrowerIQ team. “Producers continue to benefit from expanded international legalization, global underproduction and the gradual reduction of the gray market. The continued maturation of Canadian and international supply chains has opened up access to markets that were previously difficult for medium and smaller producers to tap into.”

At the same time, challenges remain. “Regulatory complexity, taxation and access to capital continue to impact the industry,” they continued. “Competition from low-cost jurisdictions and domestic producers unloading excess product at discounted prices is keeping prices under pressure. Individual producers continue to face business-specific challenges, while the rapid pace of change in the sector increases these pressures. Those who cannot adapt quickly risk being left behind in this fast-moving market.”

Despite the headwinds, there is cautious confidence. “2026 has the potential to be another challenging but successful year for the Canadian cannabis industry,” they concluded. The seed itself seems to be evolving along with the sector. “Grow Up continues to raise the bar every year,” said the GrowerIQ team. “Grow Up has truly established itself as Canada’s premier cannabis event.”

Overall, the Grow Up conference in Vancouver showed an industry that is recalibrating itself around consistency, efficiency and strategic resilience. Long (?) gone are the days of big announcements and earth-shattering innovations. The sector is preparing for its next tougher phase.

For more information:
grow up
growupconference.com

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Medical cannabis cultivation event set for June 8 in the Netherlands, ahead of GreenTech

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2 hours ago

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May 20, 2026

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On June 8, researchers, growers and technology providers from around the world will gather in the Netherlands for a day of presentations, facility tours and networking focused on the cultivation of medicinal cannabis, organized by the Dutch cannabis consortium Cultivation for Compounds and MCPIR.

© Andrea Di Pastena | MMJDaily.com

The event takes place across two locations. The morning program takes place at the MCPIR in Bleiswijk, where Jaime Ahumada and René Corsten, cannabis researchers and consultants at Delphy, will present their latest findings on mother plant management, clear strategy and upcoming research plans at the Delphy Improvement Center, including opportunities for growers to actively participate in ongoing research and knowledge development. Attendees can also take a tour of the cannabis cells.

In the afternoon he will visit the World Horti Center in Naaldwijk with presentations from Mexx Holweg, Dutch Light Innovations and Cultivation for Compounds, followed by a visit to Vertify.

MMJDaily covered last year’s event on the ground. Check out our photo report to see the research sites and the community gathered there.

For more information:
MCPIR
www.mcpir.nl
worldhorticenter.nl/eu/themes/cultivation-for-compounds/

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Health Canada opens consultations to deregulate hemp

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1 day ago

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May 19, 2026

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Health Canada has published a Notice of Intent to “simplify” the Industrial Hemp Regulation to “eliminate or reduce regulatory burden,” which could include removing the licensing requirement for certain industrial hemp activities, and is asking the industry what changes it wants to see before June 30, 2026.

The announcement acknowledges that “industry stakeholders have advocated for a new approach to regulating industrial hemp that treats it as an agricultural product” and that although industrial hemp and cannabis belong to the same plant family, “the productions and products resulting from the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp are completely different and pose very different risks.” CBD is “non-intoxicating,” the release states, and hemp “has less potential for public health harm and misuse and less public safety concerns compared to cannabis due to its extremely low THC levels.”

© Colin Temple | Dreamstime

Under the current framework, industrial hemp is listed in Schedule 1 of the Cannabis Act along with high-THC cannabis, even if it contains 0.3% THC or less by weight in the flower heads and leaves. To cultivate, sell, import or export seeds or grains, clean seeds, process grains or grow hemp, operators need a separate license for each activity, plus a separate permit for each import or export shipment. Anyone licensed to cultivate the seeds must test the flower heads and leaves for THC concentration, and all cultivated varieties must appear on Health Canada’s List of Approved Crops. Imported seeds also require phytosanitary certification according to CFIA frameworks. Mature stems, non-viable seeds and their derivatives are already out of the field, sitting on tab 2.

The review calls for eliminating or reducing licensing requirements, removing the separate layer of import/export permits, cutting reporting obligations, revamping the List of Approved Crops, reducing or eliminating THC testing requirements and potentially changing the 0.3% THC definition itself. That said, Health Canada is clear that some controls are being left out, specifically to “prevent the illegal cultivation and diversion of cannabis disguised as industrial hemp into an illegal market,” and that international reporting obligations remain an “important consideration.” Extracting CBD from flower heads is also out of scope, as this requires a cannabis processing license under the Cannabis Regulations.

A separate cost-benefit questionnaire goes directly to current IHR licensees, and the responses feed into the regulatory Impact Analysis Statement required by Health Canada before any proposed amendment reaches the Canada Gazette.

Source: magazine.gc.ca

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Cannabis Advocacy Groups Push Congress For Legalization And Other Reforms Following Trump’s Rescheduling Move

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1 day ago

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May 19, 2026

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“Cannabis reform is the hottest topic in American politics, and … Congress is on course to pass a comprehensive legalization bill that targets the release of cannabis prisoners.”

Author: Jack Gorsline, Filter

A national coalition 41 advocacy groups gathered on Capitol Hill for Cannabis Unity WeekA coordinated lobbying blitz pressed a deadlocked Congress to act on federal marijuana deprogramming, criminal law reform, and fair access.

The May 12-14 mobilization brought together unions, veterans, civil liberties advocates, legal experts, industry executives and individuals directly affected by three main demands: federal cannabis legalization, the release of federal cannabis prisoners, and the expungement of civil rights restoration records. The coalition spent three days navigating the halls of both houses of Congress to introduce a comprehensive package of 13 hemp and cannabis reform bills.

The legislative push comes at a critical time. The vast majority of states have legalized medical or adult use of cannabis in some form, and although the Trump administration rescheduled state legal medical marijuana last month, federal law otherwise continues to classify the plant as a Schedule I controlled substance, creating a legal and economic paradox that advocates say can no longer be ignored.

The coalition’s main thrust is the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Elimination (MORE) Act, introduced as HR 5068. If passed, the MORE Act would completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, ending nearly a century of federal prohibition.

The bill’s provisions go beyond simple deprogramming. It aims to eliminate all federal penalties for marijuana activity, establish clear pathways to expungement and reentry, and create community reinvestment with federal cannabis tax revenue. The bill also includes equity measures designed to lower barriers to entry for small and independent businesses trying to navigate the highly capitalized legal market.

“Cannabis reform is a hot topic in American politics, and now that the president has indicated he’s open to reform, it’s up to Congress to pass a comprehensive legislative bill that targets the release of cannabis prisoners who no longer need to be incarcerated,” Jason Ortiz, director of strategic initiatives at the Last Prisoner Project and Co-founder of the Latino Cannabis Alliancehe said The filter.

Ortiz emphasized that the administrative gesture must be supported by specific legislative moves. “The LPP is ready to work with the co-chairs of the Cannabis Caucus and the Cannabis Unity Coalition to pass a comprehensive deprogramming bill like the MORE Act,” he continued, “to finally end the nightmare that has been cannabis prohibition, and create a pathway for all those incarcerated for cannabis offenses to reunify their families and become full members of society.”

A central theme of Unity Week was the disproportionate impact of federal prohibition on minority communities, particularly Latinos. At a May 13 news conference outside the Senate wing of the Capitol, advocates drew a direct line from the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the early 20th century to today’s deportation statistics.

“Buenos dias. My name is Jessica Gonzalez. I’m an Ecuadorian immigrant, attorney, and president of the Latino Cannabis Alliance, a national coalition of Latino advocates, lawyers, organizers, researchers, and storytellers fighting to move our communities from the margins of cannabis politics to the center,” Gonzalez told reporters and lawmakers. “We’re Harry Anslinger’s worst nightmare.”

Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, weaponized prejudice against Latinos and blacks in the 1930s to secure the initial federal crackdown on cannabis. Gonzalez noted that the structural machinery built at that time continues to operate with remarkable efficiency.

“We’re here because Latinos are the largest immigrant group in the country, and the cannabis industry benefits enormously from Latino consumers and workers because they remain silent on the same policies that make participation by non-citizen Latinos dangerous,” Gonzalez said. “That’s a contradiction we’re here to say out loud. And here’s a number we don’t hear often enough: 70 percent. More than 70 percent of people convicted federally of cannabis possession are classified as Hispanic. That’s not a coincidence, it’s the result of a system that has merged cannabis prohibition and immigration enforcement into a deportation pathway and targeted our families.”

For noncitizens, as well as legal residents, federal convictions or possession of cannabis can result in mandatory deportation without judicial discretion. Gonzalez noted that the Latino Cannabis Alliance refuses to let the economic boom of state-sanctioned cannabis eclipse the human cost of federal action.

“But we have never been a town that accepts the conditions given to us,” said Gonzalez. “My family refused when they left everything they knew and built a life in a foreign country. Our communities refused when prohibition tried to turn our families into criminals and our neighborhoods into evidence. And today, the Latino Cannabis Alliance refuses to deport one more family, silence one more worker, or erase one more community from a movement we’ve always been.”

He continued, “decriminalization is the floor, not the ceiling. We will not forget the deportees. We will not forget the detainees. Our work takes borders, but it begins where this system was built. The ban began with a lie about our people. It will end with the truth we made.”

Business leaders also described the injustice and inequality of the current landscape.

“Cannabis Unity Week is not a celebration of victory, it’s a call to action,” said Susie Plascencia, founder of Latinas in Cannabis and representative of the National Hispanic Cannabis Council. “Thousands of people are still incarcerated for cannabis crimes, families are still living with the consequences of prohibition, and Latino communities remain disproportionately harmed and underrepresented in this industry.”

Today, Plascencia noted, multi-state marijuana operators generate billions of dollars in public markets, but minority-owned independent startups face severe capital constraints due to federal bank restrictions.

“Latino entrepreneurs are among the fastest growing in the country, building businesses despite systemic barriers,” he said., “But in cannabis, many still face limited access to capital, restrictive policies and exclusion from ownership. We’re building it anyway, but we don’t have to build it alone. We’re here to demand federal action… Because equity isn’t just about repairing damage, it’s about investing in the future.”

The broader drug policy reform movement also gave the coalition its institutional weight.

“As MAPS celebrates its 40th anniversary, we are proud to join the Cannabis Unity Coalition to advance the movement for compassionate, evidence-based drug policy,” said Gina Vensel, Community Partnerships Manager for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

“This milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in the War on Drugs case while recognizing the crucial work that still lies ahead, especially around restorative justice,” Vensel said. The filter. “Together, we strive to dismantle stigma, educate our communities, and advocate for meaningful reform. The Cannabis Unity Coalition represents the power of collective action to drive lasting, positive change.”

Beyond the comprehensive scope of the MORE Act, advocates spent time on the Hill educating lawmakers on narrower measures designed to solve immediate practical problems.

Among them is the STATES 2.0 Act (HR 2934), a bipartisan bill that would amend federal law to respect state legal cannabis programs while protecting state-regulated businesses from federal interference and asset forfeiture. Advocates also pushed for the PREPARE Act (HR 2935 / S 3576), which would have created a federal commission charged with designing a comprehensive regulatory framework for the post-prohibition transition.

To address the decades-long decline in political motivation for scientific research, the coalition also sponsored the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act (HR 3082) to remove barriers that prevent the Office of National Drug Control Policy from conducting objective research on the social impacts of cannabis legalization.

The coalition also focused heavily on “clean slate” initiatives, housing stability and agricultural guidelines. Key legislation in this area includes the Clean Slate Act, a bipartisan measure that mandates the unsealing of certain federal records for nonviolent cannabis convictions to help affected individuals access employment and educational opportunities. Advocates are also championing the Veterans Safe Use of Cannabis for Healing Act and the Veterans Equal Access Act — additional bills to prevent Veterans Affairs benefits from being stripped away if veterans participate in illegal cannabis programs, and to allow VA doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis in states where it is legal.

Another item on the coalition’s agenda is the Marihuana Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act, a state-enforced measure to protect people in federally assisted housing from eviction or denial of residency based solely on cannabis use. Finally, organizers are seeking clarification on hemp regulations through a series of farm bills.

As the coalition faced a fight against the entrenched Congress leadership, several lawmakers came out of their offices to show solidarity. After the press conference, Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) spoke plainly TMZ About changing currents inside the Capitol.

Omar noted that the enormous financial fallout of maintaining prohibition has fundamentally changed the conversation, making fiscal conservatives increasingly open to reform.

“I will say, legalization advocacy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a user, so everybody can be an advocate … because we understand that it’s not good for us to spend the billions of dollars that we make now incarcerating people for smoking a port,” Omar said.

Omar also suggested that the Hill’s policy positions lag behind private reality. “I think so There are a lot of people in Congress who smoke cannabis“, he said.

As the three-day rally ended, organizers were optimistic, saying the breadth of the 41-group alliance is forcing lawmakers to view cannabis not as a boutique policy issue, but as a critical intersection of labor rights, immigration justice, veterans’ health care and economic equity, among others.

Whether their unity can propel legislative movement in a deeply polarized Congress remains to be seen, but advocates left Washington with a clear message: the floor for decriminalization has been set; the battle for the ceiling of total justice is underway.

This the article Originally published by the author The filteran online magazine that deals with drug use, drug policy and human rights from a harm reduction perspective. Keep the filter on Bluesky, X or Facebookand sign up for their newsletter.

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